I Refused To Be Reincarnated-Chapter 915: What Bao Knew

Sunlight filtered through Adam's window, rays delicately landing on his face. Their wintry warmth, the softness of his pillow beneath his neck, the cosy blanket covering him—sensations crept back. Darkness faded as his eyes fluttered open to the sight of his room.

Right, he had returned yesterday and met with his friends. Then, he succumbed to the call of slumber. That explained why the sun seemed so high beneath the curtains. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

With a yawn, he slid off the blanket. It was so unlike him to wake up late. But he also smiled as he stretched his arms behind his back, clasping them, and rotating his chest. He cracked his neck. No discomfort. Perfectly rested.

Now, he could tackle a task he had put off for longer than he had liked: visit one of the college's mysterious libraries. Last time he checked, he had earned his House nine thousand points, which he hoped would last him for most of the day.

He had been waiting for this moment.

He snapped his fingers. Hot gusts ironed his wrinkled uniform while he stepped outside.

A glance at the empty corridor told him that most students attended their last classes of the semester. Quintella... Tilting his head toward the stairs leading to the girls' floor, he shook his head. Either studying surrounded by pastries in the Common Hall or preparing with Bao for tomorrow's fight on the training grounds.

His stomach let out a discontented grumble at the first thought. Between the ritual fight and the purification of the orcs, he realised he hadn't eaten yesterday. He narrowed his eyes, a steely glint entering them. Common Hall first.

After crossing the army of snowmen built across the frozen gardens, he entered the Common Hall. His eyes drifted to the long table of the House of Exorcism. A couple of students took notes from grimoires. Smoking cups that carried the delicious scent of hot chocolate lie in front of them, along with half-bitten croissants or eclairs stuffed with golden cream. But no Quintella.

"Diligent girl."

He sat at the corner closest to the door, reaching for the plate of brown bread. He pulled it whole, the smell of grain making him salivate on its own. More plates joined the first, forming a neat line before him. Bread, sausage, thin slices of tomatoes, onions, pickles, a broad salad leaf, and a delicious egg—he stacked them in a sandwich that made his stomach tighten.

Not enough!

He devoured six more like a starved wolf. The sourness, the freshness, the richness, they all melted. He washed the last bite with a cup of tea, then stood. The library waited. But Quintella had to be with him if he wanted her to begin her journey on the path of magic. So, the training grounds first.

As he crossed the door, Desmond rushed at him. He waved, his purple hair dancing in the cold wind. "Wait, Adam!" As soon as he reached Adam, he bumped his shoulder with a playful fist. "I have a two-hour break and a stomach begging me for food. Let's eat together."

Adam began to shake his head, but froze upon seeing Desmond's eyes narrow. The teenager leaned forward, murmuring. "We need to talk."

A furrow creased Adam's brow. For three heartbeats, silence. Then, his lips curved into a smirk. "Want to break up? I don't know if my poor heart will ever recover..."

"I don't swing that way, you blue bastard!" Desmond clenched his jaw, veins throbbing on his forehead. "I'm serious."

"I know." Adam sighed.

He waved and Desmond followed him inside the Common Hall. Seated across from each other, he watched the teenager snag a wooden goblet. After downing the fresh water, Desmond slammed it on the table. His voice was low, coming out twisted lips.

"I know what you think. You're wrong. I asked Elliot about your last place this morning. You didn't tell him, which means you believe that it is dangerous for us to know. Doesn't matter. I'm fine with it."

Adam offered Desmond a slow, appreciative nod. Nothing would come out of his mouth. He had promised Grum'Thal. That, and speaking about curing the orcs' demonic contamination aloud inside Haldris' walls? He might as well tie himself down—him and everyone he told about.

Desmond pressed his elbows on the tablecloth motif, on the silversword piercing a serpent encircled by runes. "I want to talk about Sarah."

"Sarah?" Adam arched a brow. "What happened?"

"She's just..." Desmond pinched the bridge of his nose. "I don't know. Something's off about her. Before you left for Teacher Diane's field trip, she never spent a second around me. Burn me, you remember how she'd rather curse me than tolerate my presence. But a couple of days after you left, she changed."

"Tell me more." Adam interlocked his fingers in front of his chin, his frown deepening. The girl's unusual shyness from yesterday, the feeling of ants crawling beneath his skin when she gazed at him... A burning suspicion flared in his stomach.

Desmond nodded, solemn-faced. "I asked her why she was suddenly talking with me as if we were close. I don't remember why I snubbed you, she answered. Then, she went on about how unlike her it was and apologised. I would have accepted, really. But something's too weird. She remembers everything I said. Even the random chats she overheard three months ago! She quoted me, Adam, word for word. By light, Who can do that?"

Adam's lips curved into a smirk. "I can. Especially the most foolish things you said. Hard to forget them. More seriously, that's... weird." His eyes narrowed into slits as terrifying ideas slithered into his mind. "Do you think she's not the Sarah we know? That's what you're telling me?"

Desmond shook his head. "How could that be? She's using her room and attending her classes. Teacher Isolde, Magna, and the others would have noticed. It's subtle. Perhaps she messed up one of her spells. Or another student playing a trick on her? I don't know. And that's the problem. I trust you enough not to pry into what you don't want to tell me. But her? I feel like she's like the potions I tried to brew—looking good on the outside, but on the verge of bursting on the inside."

"Mhh." Adam pursed his lips, muttering beneath his breath. "We definitely need answers. Until then, I can't leave Quintella alone with Sarah."

"Speaking about Quintella."

Desmond sliced through his mumbling, and he held his breath for a second. "Don't tell me..."

"No. Of course not. At least until yesterday." Desmond pushed a goblet of water toward Adam. His voice cracked through his bitten lip. He spoke one name. A name enough to make Adam's brain rumble with their reunion.

"Bao."

Yes, Bao. Quintella and her ate, laughed, trained, and slept together. They were more than family. She would never growl at Quintella, even less after a week apart, while looking confused by her own reaction. But she did. Why?

The answer was simple.

An icy shiver ran down Adam's spine. Instinct made Bao growl. She felt something amiss with her friend. Oh, no...

He slammed his palms on the table, shoving himself up. "I'll confirm it. Now!"

Jaw clenched until it hurt, he rushed to the training ground, Desmond on his tail, saying he'd hide himself so as not to alert her.

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AN: Merry Christmas!